Sewing-machine



' No. 6l5,752. Patented Dec. l3, I898.

J. A. SANFORD.

SEWING MACHINE. (Application filed Apr. 1, 1896.:

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No. 6l5,752. Patented Dec. 13, I898. J. A. SANFORD.

SEWING MACHINE.

(Application filed Apr. 1. 1896.)

3 Sheets-Shet s.

(No Model.)

zns 0o. rumour UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JAMES A. SANFORD, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

SEWING-MACHINE.

srncrnrcnrron forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,752, aata December13, 1898.

Application filed April 1, 1896. Serial No. 585,771: (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES A. SANFORD, a citizen of the United States,residing at J ackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side View. Fig. 2 is an end view, partly broken away. Fig.3 is a view, enlarged, of the upper feed-wheel and part of its drivingmechanism, looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is anenlarged view of the presser-bar, its lifting-lever, and cam. Fig. 4 isa similar View of the lower feed-wheel and part of its drivingmechanism. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are details, enlarged. Fig. 9 is a sideelevation of a modification. Fig. 10 is a horizontal section taken online w :0, Fig. 1, looking down. Fig. 11 is the front wall of a casingseen from the inside. Fig. 12 is a vertical section on line y y, Fig. 7.

Like reference-letters indicate similar parts wherever used. v

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 8, A indicates the base, A the arm,and A the post or upright of the frame, of a sewing-machine.

B is the needle-operating shaft, 17 the crank- Wheel, and b adriving-pulley.

B is the shuttle-shaft, and B an upright shaft geared to shafts B and B,preferably by mitergears, in -such manner that those shafts shall rotatein unison.

b is the needle-bar, reciprocated by the wheel I) and vibrating in avertical path.

0 is the needle-plate.

. D is the presser-bar, and d is the presserfoot; but as these parts maybe of any usual or approved construction which is adapted to have myimprovements applied thereto no detailed description of theirconstruction need be given further than to say that some usual orapproved device for lifting the presser-foot and feed-wheel should beused-such, for instance, as a rocking shaft and a cam or arm thereon.

I usually prefer to combine with the needlebar or with the devices whichreciprocate it some form of connection with the presser-bar, so that thepresser-foot shall be lifted slightly whenever the needle goes up tofacilitate feed ing the presser-bar and presser-foot and holding them intheir elevated position for such time as may be found desirable, and toinsure that neither the bar D nor the presser-foot shall be thrust downtoo violently I combine with the said bar D a device preferably in theform of an air-cushion, a convenient construction of which is asfollows:

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, D is an air-cylinder supportedwith its open end upward upon some part of the frame of the ma* chine. dis a shank or stem connecting the presser-bar with the air-piston d therelation of parts being such that when the bar D descends the pistoncompresses the air within the aircylinder and prevents any hammering ofthe parts upon the needle-plate or upon the material upon said plate, asthe case may be. Of course the extent of the air-cushioning must be soregulated as to not interfere with a proper pressure of the foot uponthe material being sewed.

I will next describe that part of my invention which relates to thefeeding devices.

E is the upright feed-shaft, mounted upon the post A of the frame.

F is a ratchet-wheel fixed on shaft E.

G is a pawl-lever vibrating about shaft E as a center.

g is a spring-pawl carried by lever G andv engaging with theratchet-wheel F.

H is a returning-spring with one end acting upon said lever.

I is an adjusting-screw mounted on the frame with its end in the path ofthe lever G, with a jam-nut i.

J is a lever pivoted to the frame with one end disposed in the path ofthe pawl-lever and its opposite end in the path of a cam j, which iscarried by the upright shaft B so that said cam engages with the lever Jat each reciprocation of the needle.

J is a returning-spring which movesthe lever J back to its normalposition after the cam passes.

K is the upper feed-shaft. L is the lower feed-shaft. Both these shaftsare-mounted at their rear ends upon the post A and at their front endsupon some convenient support, as will be explained. Both these shaftsare at their rear ends connected to the upright feed-shaft E, preferablyby means of 1niter-gears e k e Z. (See Fig. 1.) Both feedshafts lie inplanes which are at right angles to the path of the needle, and as thelower one is disposed below the upper surface of the bed-plate and theupper one lies just below the lower face of the arm A and is at its rearend mounted in the post of the frame it is apparent that practically theentire space which is inclosed by the frame is left free andunobstructed for the reception and manipulation of the material beingsewedan important feature of construction, particularly when such anarticle as a carriage-dash is being stitched. These feed-shafts carry attheir front ends bevel-gears c M is a casing in front of the verticalsupport or standard of the needle-plate and preferably attached thereto.WVithin this casing is mounted the lower feed-wheel M on avertically-sliding plate or block M and m is a bevel-gear rotating withthe feed-wheel M and preferably cast integral therewith.

m is a short vertical shaft.

m is a bevel-gear splined to the upper end of shaft 11?. and meshingwith bevel-gear m on the feed-wheel. The gear ta is supported both aboveand below by the plate and bearing on, carried by the plate, so that itrises and falls with the feed-wheel without disturbing its meshing withgear m, sliding freely up and down on its shaft m for that purpose.

By an examination of the drawings it will be readily understood that thecasing serves, in combination with the standard A to support the slidingplate or block M and the feed-wheel carried thereon against unduelateral movement relative to the needle-plate at a while permittingthose parts to rise and fall within the desired limits.

A bevel-gear m on the lower end of shaft m meshes with bevel gear 6 andas the weight of the shaft m is or may be supported by a collar m on theshaft resting on a bearing m which is attached to the standard A withanother collar m between the said hearing and the bevel-gear m the lowerfeedwheel, its attached bevel-gear, and its driving bevel-pinion m canbe moved up and down by devices which will be next described withoutdisturbing the meshing of the bevelgears 6 771 because the lower end ofshaft m and gear m are supported against vertical movement by thebearings m and collars m m. Thus as the machine is operated the lowerfeed-wheel is rotated with a step-bystep movement, the extent of itsrotation at each reciprocation of the needle being regulated by means ofthe adjusting-screw I, as will be readily understood without furtherexplanation.

In order to facilitate the moving of the material being sewed forwardbetween the feedwheel and the needle under the varying consis 3,752

ditions as regards the thickness of said material as a whole and itsirregularities in thickness at different points, I provide means foradjusting the feed-wheel longitudinally of its driving-shaft m, andthereby insure a proper pressure of the upper feed-wheel on the materialnotwithstanding its varying thickness.

N is a lever mounted 011 the front end of a horizontal shaft N, whichprojects through the front wall of the casing M, the rear end of thesaid shaft being mounted in the casting back of the casing. 77. is a lipor spur projecting from shaft N and engaging with the sliding plate orblock M so that by swinging the free end of the lever the lowerfeed-wheel can be raised and lowered at will. Thus it will be seen thatthis feed-wheeldriving mechanism comprises a horizontal driving-shaft, avertical shaft geared thereto and disposed by the side of a feed-wheel,the bevel-gears which connect the vertical shaft with the feed-wheelbeing adjustable up and down with the feedwheel relative to theneedle-plate upon which the material to be sewed is supported, andtherefore the said adjustment of the feed-wheel does not disturb theworking relation of anyof the gearing. The free end of lever N carrieson its inner face a point which will enter successively the holes n n,and thus hold the feedwheel M in its respective positions.

0 is a vertical face-plate constituting practically a part of the frameof the machine and supporting the needle-bar, the presserbar, and theupper feed-wheel O, which latter is mounted on a sliding plate or block0 attached to or formed integral with the lower end of the presser-barD, so that when the said bar is lifted by the lever P, the rockshaft,and its arm or cam it carries with it the presser-foot and the upperfeed-wheel.

0 is a bevel-gear rotating with the feedwheel 0 and preferably castintegral therewith.

0 is a short vertical shaft.

o is a bevel-gear splined to the lower end of shaft 0 and meshing withbevel-gear 0 on the feed-wheel 0. both above and below by a bearing 0attached to bar I), so that it rises and falls with the feed-wheel 0without disturbingits meshing with gear 0, sliding freely up and down onits shaft 0 for that purpose. A bevelgear 0 on the upper end of shaft 0meshes with bevel-gear k and rests upon a bearing 0 which connects theshaft 0' with plate 0. Thus the rotation of the vertical shaft B and camJ advances the feed-wheel O by a stepby-step movement, the extent ofrotation of said feed-wheel being regulated by means of theadjusting-screw I, and from an examination of the drawings, inconnection with the above description of parts, it will'be seen that themovements of both feed-wheels will during their ordinary operations beexactly alike, as regards advancing the material being The gear 0 issupported.

IIO

allel with the path of the needle instead of planes which are at rightangles to the needle-path, as do the feed-Wheels of some priorglove-sewing machines, for instance; and it will be observed that thereis combined with each feed-wheel a multipart connection between suchfeed-wheel and a wheel which rotates it, of which connection one part ismovable relatively to another part without disturbing the relation ofmeshing gears, it being apparent that no up-and-down movement of eitheror both feed-wheels will disturb the mesh of any gears in the trains ofgear which connect those feed-wheels with their common driving-shaft E,from which they initially receive their motion.

The speed of rotation of both shafts K L being constant and uniformunder any particular adjustment of screw I it follows that if from anycause it should be found desirable to change the relative size of eitherfeedwheel a corresponding change should be made in the relative sizes ofthe bevel-gears which connect that feed-wheel with its horizontaldriving-shaft.

In the modification shown in Fig. 9 I dispense with the short verticalshafts m 0, the bevel-gears Z 10 ta m m 0 0 0 and substitute for thelong shafts K L short shafts K K coupled together by a universal jointat K the socket of one member being preferably splined to its shaft, soas to permit said shaft to slide endwise in the said socket and permitthe opposite end of shaft-section K to rise and fall with the feed-wheelO, to which it is attached, without cramping any of the parts. I preferto mount that feedwheel on the front end of that shaft-section, that endof the shaft being mounted in a suitable bearing formed in or attachedto the face-plate O of the frame. L L are shaftsections similarlyconnected by a universal joint with a splined socket at K k for drivingthe lower feed-wheel M and permitting its vertical adjustments withoutcramping thedevices. In this modification, also, there is combined witheach feed-wheel and a wheel which rotates it a multipart connectionhavin g substantially the samecapabilities as regards permittingmovement of the wheel without disturbing the mesh of its driving-gears,as has been explained with reference to the construction illustrated inthe other form of my invention. In the modification there is alsopractically the same open space within the frame of the machine for thehandling of the material being sewed as there is in Fig. 1. P is a levermounted on the end of a camshaft, which projects through the face-plateO of the frame and engages with the vertically-sliding plate or blockwhich carries the upper feed-wheel, as is customary in sewingmachines,for the purpose of raising said wheel, a point on one face of that levertaking successively into a series of holes to hold the weeelat anydesired height from the needleplate or throat-plate, as it is sometimescalled.

In both constructions there is combined with each feed-wheel adriving-shaft mechanism which comprises a shaft-section which is mountedat one end in a stationary bearin g and another shaft-section which ismounted at one end in a movable hearing which rises and falls with thefeed-wheel and with which there is combined means for moving itpositively and for looking it away from the plane traversed by thematerial when being sewed. Again, in my invention the lower feed-wheelis further combined with a needleplate which supports the materialagainst downward thrust, the locking means for that wheel being capableof withdrawing said wheel below the supporting-face of the needle-plate.

While I have explained the best mode now known to me for carrying myinvention into effect, I do not desire to be limited to the precisedetails of construction or arrangement herein illustrated, because manymodifications will suggest themselves to any person skilled in the artwithout departing from or going outside of the spirit of my improvement.

What I claim is 1. In a sewing-machine, the combination of a needle-bar,a shaft disposed in a plane parallel with the path of the bar, afeed-wheel mounted near the end of said shaft on an axis at right anglesto the shaft and movable longitudinally thereof, gearing connecting theshaft and the wheel, and means for imparting a step-by-step movement tothe shaft and feedwheel, substantially as set forth.

2. In a sewing-machine, the combination of a needle-bar, a shaftdisposed in a plane parallel with the needle-bar, a feed-wheel mountednear the end of said shaft on an axis at right angles to the shaft andmovable longitudinally thereof, gearing connecting the shaft and thewheel, means for imparting a step-by-step movement to the shaft andfeedwheel, and means for adjusting the feed- Wheel longitudinally of itsdriving-shaft m, to facilitate moving the material being sewed betweenthe wheel and the needle, substantially as set forth.

3. In a sewing-machine, the combination of a needle-bar, a needle-plate,a feed-wheel above the needle-plate and a feed-wheel below theneedle-plate, both mounted to rotate in a plane parallel to the path ofthe needlebar, shafts mounted to rotate each in a plane parallel to theplane of the adjacent feedwheel and bevel-geared to its respectivefeedwheel, a shaft mounted at a right angle to each of said bevel-gearedshafts and geared thereto at one end and at its opposite end connectedto means for imparting a step-bystep movement to both feed-wheels inunison, substantially as set forth.

4. In a sewing-machine the combination of a needle-bar mounted at oneend of the bedplate and at right angles thereto, a feedwheel mounted toslide vertically near the upper end of a shaft below the needle-plateand geared to said shaft, a stationary bearing for the lower end of saidshaft, a horizontal shaft mounted at one end in the stationary bearingand at its opposite end in another bearing, a feed-wheel above theneedleplate, a parallel shaft disposed at the upper part of the machinefor driving said lastmentioned feed-wheel, and a step-by-step rotatingshaft geared to one end of each of the parallel shafts, substantially asset forth.

5. In a sewing-machine, the combination with the continuously-rotatingneedle-shaft and parallel shuttle shaft and two feedwheels, of twosubstantially parallel step-bystep rotating shafts, one for eachfeed-wheel, and a transverse shaft geared to both of the latter-namedparallel shafts, substantially as set forth.

6. In a sewing-machine, the combination with the continuously-rotatingneedle-shaft and parallel shuttle shaft and two feedwheels disposed torotate in a plane transverse to the horizontal plane of the bed of themachine, two driving-shafts one for each feedwheel, and which areparallel to the bed of the machine, and a step-by-step rotatingtransverse shaft geared to both the said driving-shafts and having astep-by-step rotation, substantially as set forth.

7. In a sewing-machine, the combination with the continuously-rotatingneedle-shaft and parallel shuttle shaft and two feedwheels,of astep-by-step rotating driving-shaft at the opposite end of the machinedisposed in a plane parallel with the plane of rotation of thefeed-wheels, gearing disposed between said driving-shaft andfeed-wheels, and a m ultipart connection between each feedwheel and saiddriving-shaft, of which connection one part is movable relatively toanother part without disturbing the relation of intermeshing gears,substantiallyas set forth.

8. In a sewing-machine, the combination with the needle-plate, of astandard below the plate, a vertical slidable block attached to thestandard, a feed-wheel carried by the block, a step-by-stepdriving-shaft mechanism comprising two shaft-sections for actuating saidfeed-wheel, and of which shaft-sections one is disposed below the bed,the other shaftsection being connected with the feed wheel and supportedin the sliding block, substan-' tially as set forth.

9. In a sewing-machine, the combination with the standard below theneedle-plate, of the casing, the feed-wheel and its driving bevel -gearsmounted on the sliding plate within the casing, said plate engaging withthe walls of the casing, and means for raising and lowering thefeed-wheel and said plate, substantially as set forth.

10. In a sewing-machine, the combination with the standard, thecasing,the feed'wheel, and its driving bevel-gears, of the cam-lever mounted onthe casing and standard and adapted for raising and lowering thefeedwheel and its driving bevel-gears, and means for locking the same inits adjusted position, substantially as set forth.

11. In a sewing-machine, the combination with the face-plate O of theframe, of the needle-bar, the continuously-rotatin g needleshaft, thefeed-wheel rotating in a plane par allel with the path of the needle, astep-bystep rotating driving-shaft, mechanism comprising twoshaft-sections for actuating said feed-wheel and of which shaft-sectionsone is disposed above the bed but below the needleshaft and parallelwith it, the other shaftsection being connected at one end with thefeed-wheel, substantially as set forth.

12. I11 a sewing-machine, the combination with the face-plate O of theframe, of the continuously-rotating needle-shaft, the sliding block, thefeed-wheel and its attached bevel gear carried by the block, thevertical shaft geared at one end by a slidable bevel-gear to thefeedwheel, the upper step-by-step rotating feed-shaft mounted at one endin the bar, 0, and means for raising the said feed- Wheel and itsintermeshing gears, substantially as set forth.

13. In a sewing-machine, the combination with a feed-wheel, of ahorizontal drivingshaft, a vertical shaft geared thereto and disposed bythe side of the feed-wheel, and vertically-adjustable gearing connectingsaid wheel with the vertical shaft, substantially as set forth.

14. 111 a sewing-machine, the combination with the presser-bar, of anair-cushion, for supporting the presser-foot when said foot isdescending, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. SANFORD.

